All posts tagged: India

India flags ‘deep concerns’ over attack on two Indian ships in Strait of Hormuz

India flags ‘deep concerns’ over attack on two Indian ships in Strait of Hormuz

Published by Sam Flores

MUMBAI: India said it had called in the Iranian envoy to New Delhi and flagged its “deep concern” over the attack on two Indian-flagged ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (Apr 18). One of the vessels attacked was identified as the Sanmar Herald, an Indian government source said. The crew on board and the vessel were safe, the source said. India’s top foreign ministry official asked the Iranian ambassador to convey India’s view to Iranian authorities and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait, a statement from the ministry said. The ambassador said he would convey these views to Iranian authorities, the statement said. IRAN REVERSES DECISION On Saturday, Iran reversed its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and fired on tankers attempting to pass through the waterway on Saturday (Apr 18).  It also warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect. Iran’s joint military command said on Saturday …

Iran Tightens Control of Strait of Hormuz, Trump Warns Against ‘Blackmail’

Iran Tightens Control of Strait of Hormuz, Trump Warns Against ‘Blackmail’

Published by Sam Flores

By Trevor Hunnicutt, Ariba Shahid and Muhammad Al Gebaly WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, April 18 (Reuters) – Iran said it was tightening control over the Strait of ⁠Hormuz ⁠on Saturday, warning mariners the vital energy route was again closed, but ⁠President Donald Trump said Tehran could not blackmail the United States by shutting the waterway. Tehran said it was responding to a continued U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, calling ​it a violation of their ceasefire, while Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran’s navy was ready to inflict “new bitter defeats” on its enemies. Shipping sources said at least two vessels reported coming under fire and being hit while trying to transit the waterway. India later said the ‌Iranian ambassador in New Delhi had been summoned and that it ‌had expressed deep concern to him that two Indian-flagged ships had come under fire in the strait. State media in Iran quoted the Supreme National Security Council as saying Iranian control over the strait included demanding the payment of costs related to security, safety ⁠and environmental protection services. State television …

India Won’t Require Apple to Preinstall Government ID App on iPhones

India Won’t Require Apple to Preinstall Government ID App on iPhones

Published by skeptic

India will not require smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung to preload devices with a state-owned biometric identification app, reports Reuters. The Unique Identification Authority of India asked the IT ministry to start talks with Apple and other tech companies about the possibility of mandatory preinstallation of the Aadhaar identity app, but the IT ministry told Reuters today that it reviewed the proposal and is “not in favor” of mandating the app’s preinstallation. Aadhaar is a 12-digit identity number that residents of India can apply for, and it has been issued to more than 1.34 billion residents. The number is linked to an individual’s image, fingerprints, and iris scans, and it serves as proof of residence. It is used for government benefits, banking, taxes, mobile connections, and more. The Identification Authority said that the IT ministry consulted with “stakeholders from the electronics industry” before deciding not to proceed with the proposal to preload Aadhaar. India’s government has asked smartphone makers to preinstall state-owned apps on devices six times over the last two years, according to …

Indian Oil Refiners Lining up Oil Cargoes to Meet Local Demand, Official Says

Indian Oil Refiners Lining up Oil Cargoes to Meet Local Demand, Official Says

Published by Sam Flores

NEW DELHI, ⁠April ⁠17 (Reuters) – Indian ⁠oil refiners are ​doing their best ‌to line-up oil ‌cargoes ⁠to ⁠meet local demand, an Indian ​government official said on Friday, ​after the United States ⁠decided ⁠not to ⁠extend a ​waiver from sanctions on ​crude ⁠purchases from Russia and Iran. The ⁠U.S. waiver for sanctioned Russian oil purchases ⁠expired on April 11 and the exemption on Iranian oil is due to end on ⁠April 19. (Reporting by Nidhi Verma, writing by Shilpa ​Jamkhandikar; Editing by ​YP Rajesh) Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters. Photos You Should See – April 2026 Source link

MAGA Indians Went All In on Trump. Many Right-Wingers Can’t Stand Them

MAGA Indians Went All In on Trump. Many Right-Wingers Can’t Stand Them

Published by skeptic

“American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” Ramaswamy wrote, in an attempt to explain why tech companies hire foreign workers. The post was met with a tidal wave of slurs and revulsion towards the visa program. It also reportedly expedited Ramaswamy’s January 2025 departure from DOGE. While Ramaswamy and even Elon Musk defended aspects of the H-1B visa, others want the program scrapped. In January, Texas Republican Party chairman Abraham George—an American citizen born in India—called for the state to ban hiring workers on H-1B visas. Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Texas governor Greg Abbott have also pledged to eliminate hiring at universities and in the government through H-1Bs in their states. Sidharth, a conservative tech entrepreneur and Musk superfan, says right-wing messaging about H-1Bs—that they’re preventing Americans from building a livelihood—is rife with misinformation. He’s not sure that matters. “The average American living in the suburbs is not going to figure that out. He’s going to believe what he sees on YouTube and X,” says Sidharth. His name is a pseudonym which he uses …

Motorola sues social platforms and creators over posts, raising speech concerns in India

Motorola sues social platforms and creators over posts, raising speech concerns in India

Published by skeptic

Motorola has filed a lawsuit in India against social media platforms and content creators over posts it alleges are defamatory, raising concerns it could dampen critical coverage of the company, experts say. The lawsuit, filed in a Bengaluru court and obtained by TechCrunch, names platforms including X, YouTube, and Instagram along with dozens of content creators, and seeks takedown of the content as well as broader restraint on what it describes as false or defamatory material related to the company’s devices. In its over 60-page filing, Motorola has sought a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or sharing what it describes as false or defamatory content about its products including reviews, videos, comments, and boycott campaigns. The complaint cites hundreds of posts across platforms, including videos alleging device issues and phones catching fire. But it is also targeting unfavorable product reviews and user commentary that the company alleges are false or defamatory. Two content creators named in the suit, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they learned about the case only after receiving …

Trump’s Hormuz blockade tests U.S. ties with China and India

Trump’s Hormuz blockade tests U.S. ties with China and India

Published by Sam Flores

The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is adding strain to Washington’s relations with China and India, as Beijing hardens its rhetoric and New Delhi faces rising energy risks. Getty The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is not only squeezing Iran but also ratcheting up pressure on two of its most consequential relationships in Asia — India and China. With roughly 98% of Iranian oil exports bound for China, and a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping weeks away, Washington’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran risks destabilizing the fragile detente that the administration has carefully cultivated with Beijing. India, with its complicated ties with the U.S., is increasingly finding U.S. policy at odds with its economic interests — most acutely in the energy shock now rippling through its economy. Trump is scheduled to visit China in mid-May, and the administration signaled repeatedly in recent weeks that it wants the bilateral relationship stable enough to keep the high-stakes meeting on track. “The Iran conflict, particularly the blockade, may upend …

Legendary Indian Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle dies aged 92 | News

Legendary Indian Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle dies aged 92 | News

Published by Sam Flores

Bhosle recorded more than 12,000 songs in multiple Indian languages over a seven-decade career. Published On 12 Apr 202612 Apr 2026 Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Bollywood music through the 1970s and 80s, died in Mumbai aged 92, her family says. The two-time Grammy nominee died on Sunday at the Breach Candy Hospital, where she had been admitted for “extreme exhaustion” and a chest infection. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list “My mother passed away today. Her last rites will be held tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai,” her son Anand Bhosle told reporters on Sunday. Bhosle recorded more than 12,000 songs in multiple Indian languages over a seven-decade career. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by her death. In a post on X, Indian President Droupadi Murmu said her death is “an irreparable loss to music lovers”. Born on September 8, 1933, to a musical family, Bhosle began singing as a child alongside her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, after their father’s death. Often compared with …